Wonderland
by Garfakcy-chan
Summary: PLEASE READ AUTHOR NOTE AT TOP! Hiroto is a patient at a mental hospital and has been there for as long as he can remember. Suddenly, he is thrown into a troubled world of nonsense and magic but is it all just a dream? H/M
1. Prologue

Hi guys! I'm finally posting again! I have been working on this fic for a while now so I decided to finally start posting stuff. Here's the gist of things: I have quite a few chapters of this done already but it is unfinished. I will probably upload chapters for this on a biweekly to weekly basis, depending on things. This is mainly because it is unfinished and finals are coming up so I don't know when I'll have time to work on it.

Now on to the good stuff. This story is based off of American McGee's Alice. It follows it very closely for the most part but I will be straying and adding my own storyline to this. You don't have to know the game to understand this but it is a fantastic game so I would highly recommend playing it. There is a sequel to the game but if you play that you will have spoilers for this story's sequel. Of course you can still play it though if you wish. Spoilers are up to you.

And PLEASE! If you like it or have suggestions, I BEG you to review. I know you can always favorite stories and stuff if you like them but I really do love hearing what you guys think, what you like and don't like, what you want to see, etc. This has a very strong guideline but I am always open to suggestions and I love your feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

Enjoy!

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

_**It was hot. The heat was coming at him from all sides. Someone was yelling his name and there was a loud pounding noise. He heard something break and then he was being pulled out from under his bed and into his mother's arms. She scrambled to her feet and ran from the room, his father close behind her.**_

_**Fire. There was fire everywhere. They ran down the stairs and headed down the hallway. His mother shrieked when something in the next room exploded, probably the stove. The explosion brought the floor above them crashing down on top of his father.**_

"_**Daddy!" his mother stopped when he called out and whirled back to her husband. The flooring had completely covered his lower body and had trapped one of his arms. His mother carefully made her way over to him and tried to pull at a beam with one arm. His father quickly waved them away. "Go! You need to get out. I'll be fine." his mother sobbed slightly and shook her head. "I can't just leave!" she screamed. His father caught her hand when she reached for another piece of wood. "Alice…please…" **_

_**She sobbed again but this time turned and began to run again. They found the front door blocked by more fallen wood and ran to the living room window. She managed to smash it open after some effort and tucked him in close to her as she began to climb out.**_

_**The next explosion was deafening. He heard his mother scream as the force of it flung them from the house and onto the snow covered lawn in the back of the house. His mother's body was curled protectively over his own as debris and bits of the furnace flew over their heads. Suddenly his mother gasped and jerked sharply. **_

"_**Momma?" He tried to squirm out of her grip to see what was wrong but she held him tightly and shushed him. However there was a gap just beneath her arm and he could see the sharp metal shard protruding from his mother's back. He tried to say something but she only shushed him again. His mother's hand gently and ran through his hair as she smiled down at him.**_

"_**Don't worry." She said quietly. "I love you."**_

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

Jade eyes opened to stare at the cloudless sky. His mind always wandered back to that night when he was left to his own devices and he was left to them often. He didn't need as much attending to as the other patients. It was boring sometimes. There wasn't much to do in the asylum to pass the time. He wasn't supposed to sleep (they said it would mess up his routine if he took naps) and it was hard to watch anything entertaining when he had to accommodate the more fragile patients. He had read all the interesting books in the asylum's library and he couldn't draw for shit and found it didn't do much to hold his attention anyways.

"Hiroto."

The redhead lifted his head slightly and turned it to the nurse as she stepped into the garden and walked over to his bench. She placed her hands on her knees and leaned over him. "It's time to come in, dear. Lunch is almost ready. And what have I told you about not wearing your shoes outside?" she raised an eyebrow, eyeing the boy's bare feet. The redhead watched them too for a moment. "Sorry, ma'am." She sighed and smiled gently. "It's alright. Come inside now." She ushered him back into the large stone building and shut the door with a soft click behind her. The lounge was a basic rectangular room, with white walls and a pale green tiled floor. There were a few pristine white couches where other patients sat watching television. They spent most of their days there, watching what was, to some, their only access to the outside world.

The nurse prodded him in the back, ushering him towards the stairs. "Go wash up and change out of your pajamas. By then it'll be time for lunch." He nodded and headed up the stairs at a brisk pace, weaving through the other patients as they wandered the halls. He ran to the end of the hall and opened the door to his room. Once inside he made quick work of tossing his pajamas into the hamper and tugged on a pair of jeans and a white long sleeved shirt. The redhead washed his hands and face in the small bathroom adjoined to his room then walked out and cast a look to the clock on his bed side table. _'Still got ten minutes.'_

He sighed and flopped backwards onto his bed and stared at the whirling ceiling fan. His room was basic and boring like the rest of the rooms in the asylum. The bed was placed between the door and the only window in the room, the bathroom door across from the end of it and the closet in the corner between the door and the bathroom. He also had a dresser on the other side of the bathroom door. He'd tried to make it more interesting by hanging up the many band and movie posters Nurse D (the nurse from before) had gotten him over the years but the white walls and light gray bed sheets just refused to allow the room to look interesting.

The sharp chime of the clock ticking to noon caught his attention and he swung up into a sitting position. He grabbed a pale blue t-shirt and some socks from his dresser and tugged the t-shirt on over his other shirt and the socks onto his feet. After a moment of searching, he dragged his sneakers out from under his bed and pulled them on too and headed back down stairs.

He greeted a couple of the more elderly patients on his way down and jumped over the last few steps, stretching when he reached the floor. Hiroto knew everyone in the asylum, faculty and patients alike. He had been there since he was six years old after all. Having celebrated his 14th birthday not two months ago, he was one of the longest running admissions the asylum had seen in a longtime. Hiroto sometimes questioned his stay in the mental hospital. He didn't feel insane. He didn't have delusions or throw fits or rationalize things in a weird way. But maybe that was all because he stayed on his meds. He barely remembered a time where he didn't take them. It was the same every day. "We have a problem." The sudden statement caught the redhead's attention and he stopped walking to lean back towards the door of the office. It had been left a crack open and he could see a few doctors and nurses (Nurse D included) clustered together as they talked.

"It would appear the truck was delayed. And we just used our last reserves." One of the nurses said softly. A doctor nodded and made a motion with his hand. "We'll just have to skip it tonight then. We'll have lunch and then send everyone straight to their rooms for the rest of the day. We'll have the refill by tomorrow and it'll be fine." There seemed to be a general agreement on this plan and they faculty dispersed, going about their usual business. Hiroto pulled away from the door and raised an eyebrow. What had they been talking about? Shrugging, he headed back into the lounge and claimed one of the empty sofas. Moments later, the nurses wheeled in their carts and began passing out the Styrofoam containers. The moment Hiroto opened his he realized what they had been talking about.

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

Hiroto paced around his room worriedly. He couldn't help it. He'd never been without his medication before. What if he saw horrible hallucinations or went on some psychotic rage through the asylum? He stopped that train of thought there and took a deep breath. _'No, I'll be fine. If I was going to do something dangerous they would have locked me up better.'_ He sat down on his bed and dropped down onto his back. He rolled onto his side and checked the clock. It was only four in the afternoon. He'd been milling around his room for four hours straight and his boredom was reaching critical levels. And boredom often made him sleepy…


	2. Dementia Part 1

Okay, so I decided the prologue didn't really give enough to be interested so I decided to post the first chapter pretty quickly. I hope you guys like it:) The next chapter will probably be on Friday on sometime over the weekend. This is where stuff really starts to get strange but Hiroto will figure things out as he goes along. Thanks to those who reviewed! Please continue to do so!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

"I do beg your pardon but this is not exactly a fine time for a nap."

Hiroto groaned softly and slowly pushed himself up off the ground and into a sitting position only to immediately double over again, holding his head. He jumped a little when two large white feet suddenly stepped into his vision. "If you wouldn't mind, we really must be going!"

Hiroto snapped his head up and scrambled back instantly. In front of him was a white rabbit, but certainly this was no ordinary rabbit as, if Hiroto was standing, it would nearly reach his hip (ears excluded of course). On top of that, it also wore a dark red waist coat and a white vest. It also wore black gloves and a black top hat with a red stripe around it. It appeared gaunt and almost corpse-like, it's skin pulled tightly around its bones and very little muscle or fat could be seen. The rabbit huffed and planted its hands on his hips, looking cross. "If you're quite done staring, we must be on our way!" it snapped sharply. Hiroto lifted a hand to his head. "I don't believe this. One night with my meds and I'm already hallucinating."

He leaned back on his hands and looked around him. He seemed to be at the entrance to a mine shaft or something of the sort. He himself sat in a small cave clearing, with rock all around him save for the mine opening in front of him. Looking up, he was shocked to see, not a cave ceiling, but a massive swirling vortex of purples and blues. A single hole was at the center of the spinning mass but it looked incredibly far away. He jumped again when the rabbit let out an exasperated sigh, having forgotten about the strange animal. "Please! We've had to wait for you long enough as it is! We must get to safety before the Queen realizes your arrival and sends her guards!"

Hiroto blinked confusedly. "Waiting? What do you mean?" The rabbit sighed again and shook his head, clasping his hands in front of him. "There's no time to explain it now. When we arrive at a more desirable location, I will tell you what I know." With that, the rabbit spun and hopped into the mine entrance, pausing only briefly to give the redhead a cross look.

"Please, don't dawdle! We're very late already!"

Then he sharply turned a corner and disappeared from Hiroto's sight. "Hey! Wait!" Hiroto scrambled to his feet and took off as fast as he could, though slowed in hesitation once he actually entered the dark mine. He slowly turned the same corner the rabbit had taken and peered into the hall. Down a ways appeared to be a more open area with lots of creaking and clanking machinery. A small figure, not the rabbit unfortunately, paced slowly across the floor. He was about the same size as the rabbit but looked more human. Save for the large glowing orb strapped to his back, he only wore a pair of red pants and a large lock around his neck.

Hiroto cautiously moved forward, unsure if he should be wary of the little man (Should he really be afraid though? It was only a hallucination after all). Stepping into the open area, Hiroto scanned the place. Many spinning cogs, pipes, and other machines were embedded into the walls. To his right, also built into the walls, was a small house that he could only imagine must belong to the little man in front of him. To his left was a house of the same nature, though there was a gaping chasm between the two. A broken pipe was just barely breaching the gap, billowing steam and white smoke up towards the roof off the mine. Another little man stood on the other side of the gap.

Hiroto gasped when the first little man suddenly approached him. "It's not wise to wander alone, child." He offered in a low tone. "You best be on your way." Hiroto faltered for a moment. The man didn't seem to mean him any harm; maybe he could try for some answers. "Excuse me, but where am I?" Unfortunately, the little man didn't seem to understand the question and simply descended into a dreary monologue.

"Alas, this place is not what it used to be. Our land is destroyed, our spirits crushed. Slavery and happiness do not dwell in the same house." Still quietly rambling to himself, the little man wandered off, leaving Hiroto with more questions than answers. Sighing softly, he walked toward the edge of the chasm and peered into the gap. Upon closer inspection he could see that there had once been flooring across the hole but the steam from the pipe had eaten away at the wood and it had fallen away. A sickly green liquid filled the bottom of the hole.

As he straightened himself, he managed to catch the rabbit's red coattails disappear out of the corner of his eye. _'So that's where he went.'_ He thought. Looking around, Hiroto scratched his head. He was no rabbit; how was he to get across? Well, maybe he could make the jump if he got a running start.

Taking a few steps back, the redhead then ran forward and leapt. The moment his feet left the ground he could tell there was no way he could reach the other side. _'I just really hope this isn't one of those "corresponds to things in real life" hallucinations. That would kind of suck at this point.'_ He thought. He gasped when a force suddenly slammed into his stomach, the heat of it lasting only for a second as he was hurled onto the other side. He landed hard on his back and winced as he felt the air pushed from his lungs and left him gasping for his breath.

Taking a moment to regain his senses, he propped himself up on his elbows and cast a look over his shoulder to the smoke pumping steadily from the pipe. Apparently, it had been powerful enough to force him across, though Hiroto was certain that if he had purposefully tried to use it that way, he would have certainly perished. A quiet laughter caught his attention. He turned his head back to the second little man, who stood on the small landing in front of what Hiroto assumed was his home. This one wore green pants instead of red.

"That's a key way to travel here, stranger. You might want to hone your skills at it." Hiroto slowly pushed himself off the ground, a small bout of pain running through his back as he did. "I'll remember that. Did you see a rabbit run through here?" he asked, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his back loudly. The little man nodded and pointed to his right, deeper into the mine. "He went that way, but stir up no trouble, stranger. The Red Queen's agents are ruthless."

"Who is this Queen everyone keeps talking about? Where am I anyways?" Hiroto tried. Maybe this man would be more willing to answer his questions. The little man sighed deeply. "She is the ruler and tormenter of our people. Defiance is useless. While the Queen reigns, only death can release us from this misery." Seeking to end the conversation the little man then trudged away, moaning to himself. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Hiroto continued on in the direction the man had pointed to. As he neared the end of the hall, he began to notice a strange glowing gem floating behind a large root. He neared it carefully. It was a triangle and bore a strange rose color. It glowed brightly and Hiroto could feel the energy radiating from it. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched it.

Hiroto gasped and leapt back as the gem vanished in a swirl of rosy smoke. He quickly began to check himself over frantically, trying to see if the gem had done something to him. He failed to find anything visible, but soon realized the pain in his back had receded considerably. "What the…" he whispered softly. Suddenly a bright glow filled the right side of his vision. Turning towards it, he was surprised to find a knife floating blade down in the tunnel doorway in a bright golden spray of sparks. Nearing it slowly, he leaned closer to it to get a better look.

It was an average knife in its basic shape, with a black handle and a blade about eight inches long. What Hiroto found most interesting were the ornate swirling patterns carved into the shiny metal of the blade. Cautiously, Hiroto reached forward and grasped the handle. Instantly, the glow vanished in a burst of golden sparks. The redhead staggered back a bit and held the knife up slowly. He could feel power, like and electric surge, pulsing through his arm. He held it up in the dim light of the mine and turned it carefully, letting the light catch the designs. Lowering the weapon, Hiroto thought briefly about leaving it there, after all it wasn't his, but in the end figured it might as well have been his since this was his delusion and all.

He walked down a slight incline into another more open part of the mine and a new addition immediately caught his attention. To his left were more little houses and another incline leading up towards them and to his right, there was a large pulsating red tentacles coming through the hard stone wall of the mine. They were scattered here and there but still certainly made an impact. Hiroto neared the one to his right but after a bit of examination, he decided they proved no threat. Turning back to the path, he continued up the other incline and stepped onto the platform.

Just in time to see the white rabbit shrink to the size of a mouse and disappear into a small hole.


	3. Dementia Part 2

Hi guys! I have the next chapter now:) I hope you guys like it. Again, please review so I know what you guys are looking for! The next chapter will probably be on next Friday so enjoy until then!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

"I don't believe this…I just don't believe it…" Hiroto whispered as he pressed a hand to his face. "Believe what you will. The truth would reduce you to a blubbering baby." Hiroto jumped sharply as the gruff voice caught his attention, nearly tripping off the platform and into the green river flowing under it. He spun to find another little man, this one wearing light brown pants, looking rather dejected and mourning. He stood in front of one of the little houses, this one a little nicer than the others. Two more gems floated on either side of the door. The little man looked up to Hiroto, a small smile pulling over his features. "Are you the savior Rabbit has been telling us about all this time?"

Hiroto raised an eyebrow. "Savior? I doubt it. I don't even know where I am." The man looked saddened for a moment and Hiroto quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, about the rabbit. I need to follow him. Do you know how I could get very small? About this big." Hiroto held up his fingers to show the size he meant. The short man scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. "Calls for serious twisting. You'll need to go sideways, not forward. If I knew how, I'd go sideways myself." Hiroto sighed and dropped his shoulders. "Not twisted, small. I wish to be about this big." The redhead held up his fingers again.

The man looked thoughtful again and let his eyes roam the cavern ceiling then turned back to Hiroto. "The Fortress of Doors holds such secrets, but it will take more than a wish to get inside." The short man wandered off after that, leaving Hiroto alone again. Sighing, he looked around to take in his surroundings. Just beyond the first house, there were small stairs leading up to an elevated part of the platform, where a couple round little houses were tucked into the corner. The hole the rabbit had disappeared into was next to one of the round houses, a tiny opening in the solid wall of rock at the end of the tunnel. Hiroto walked up the small steps to the elevated part of the platform and knelt down in front of the hole. He ducked down to try and look into it, but found it didn't do too much to help him.

Releasing yet another sigh (he seemed to be sighing a lot lately), he turned his back to the hole and sat on the small set of steps. Hiroto groaned and pressed a hand to his face._ 'Shrinking rabbits, travelling by smoke pipe, healing gems?! What's next, a talking teapot?'_

Hiroto was jerked from his thoughts when a loud grunt sounded behind him and he spun around, eyes widening in shock. Behind him stood a playing card. And it was indeed standing, on its own two feet stuffed into little black boots. It was about the size of a full grown human being, certainly taller than Hiroto by several inches at least. In its black gloved hands it bore a pitchfork with a club on the end. And that club was now directly above him as the card raised up its arms and brought them down with great force. Hiroto dove out of the way just in time to avoid the slash and rolled across the floor.

Scrambling to his knees, Hiroto eyed the card in disbelief. _'This is crazy! What am I doing?! It's only a hallucination! It can't actually…!'_ The card grunted again and lunged at him, waving its weapon around as it did. Hiroto rolled away again but this time the club nicked him in the arm, tearing through his shirt and skin and drawing blood. His back hit the front of the first little house and Hiroto hissed in pain and looked down at the wound in shock._ 'This can't be happening. This thing should be able to hurt me! It's not real!' _he gasped when a shadow washed over him and clenched his eyes closed tightly, but the blow never came.

Hiroto opened his eyes slowly, just in time to see the card man's upper half fall to the floor. Behind him, lazily licking the blood from its paws was a gray cat. Like the rabbit before it, it was about the size of a medium dog rather than the size of a normal house cat. It also held the same corpse-like appearance and had strange black markings all over its body. Its yellow eyes soon focused in on the redhead and Hiroto flinched in fear.

"Do not worry, child, I'm much more partial to mice. Also, I highly recommend you learn to use your blade quickly as it will definitely prove useful for future…situations." Hiroto jumped slightly as the cat spoke, its voice a low drawling sound. "Who are you?" he said, finding his own voice failing to get any louder than a barely audible whisper. The cat flashed a wide and rather unsettling grin. "I am the Cheshire Cat. Welcome to Wonderland."

Hiroto blinked confusedly. "Wonderland? What's that?" The cat rolled its eyes and placed a paw against its head before gesturing to the redhead. "Didn't Rabbit explain anything to you?" Hiroto shook his head. "He told me he'd explain things when we got to a safer place but then he ran off and shrunk down to the size of a mouse and went into that hole and I couldn't follow him anymore."

The cat rolled its eyes again and shook its head. "Punctuality is important but leaving behind the quarry in favor of it is most unfavorable. The rabbit tends to be a little too focused on time management." The cat paused in its speech when the card's body suddenly evaporated into swirling pink smoke, the smoke forming another floating gem. Noting Hiroto's questioning glance, Cheshire continued. "Here's your first lesson then. Meta-Essence is the life force of Wonderland. Killing your enemies will extract theirs which you can add to your own." It reached up a paw and gave a slight wave, sending the essence over to Hiroto. It dissolved the instance it touched his skin and the redhead watched in wonder as the pink smoke entered into the wound on his arm which sealed up immediately. He lightly touched the area but found no trace of the wound left. The cat nodded in approval and got to its feet and turned its back to Hiroto. "As time crazy as he is, Rabbit had the right idea. For now we will journey to a safer place. I shall explain more on the way."

Cheshire waited for Hiroto to climb to his feet before taking off at an easy pace, looking back every so often to ensure the redhead was following him. At first, the cat headed towards the tiny door but took a sharp right as they reached it, heading into another open area Hiroto hadn't noticed before. The area consisted of more little houses built into the walls and steaming pipes and machinery. The green river flowed beneath the many wooden walkways that made up the cavern. The cat leapt up onto a boulder to Hiroto's left the hopped up onto the porch of the little house next to it and sat, waiting for Hiroto to follow.

"Before, you were wondering what 'Wonderland' is. I'll tell you. It is a land made of dreams and wishes. Dreams are the gateway to Wonderland. Anyone can journey here, if their will is strong enough. Most only scrape the surface of Wonderland's true potential." The cat drawled as Hiroto struggled to join it on its perch. Eight years in an asylum did not an athletic body make. "The average Joe who visits Wonderland as they sleep will wake with bumps and bruises they do not remember receiving. Wonderland is not merely a mental state, but physical as well."

Hiroto gasped for breath as he finally pulled himself onto the ledge, only for the cat to immediately takeoff up another ramp at the opposite end of the porch and seat itself at the landing above. Hiroto groaned and forced himself to his feet and headed to the ramp. "What do you mean it's physical? I thought you said it was a dream." Hiroto said, ducking under some flailing pipes as he climbed the ramp. "I also said that many on scratch the surface. If your will is strong enough, it is easy to descend one's entire body into this realm."

Hiroto nodded slightly as he reached the platform, finding yet another little man standing next to the cat. It wore the same brown pants as the one before it and regarded Hiroto with a hopeful smile. "Rabbit told us a champion would come. Are you that champion?" he asked. Hiroto faltered a bit, unsure of how to answer. "Maybe. I'm not sure what's going on yet myself." The small man nodded in understanding and gestured to the cat. "Cheshire tells me that you need to get inside the Fortress of Doors. I can't get you there, but I know who may be able to help you. Make your way into the deepest pit of the mines. The Elder Gnome resides within the rebel compound. He might have the answer."

Hiroto nodded silently. _'So they're gnomes. That explains their size then. Now I just need to find a way to explain the talking animals and living cards.' _Hiroto quickly thanked the gnome and headed up the ramp to his left, onto another platform. At some point in the conversation, the cat had seemed to vanish completely and had appeared at the edge of the upper platform. He vanished again as the redhead approached and it was only when Hiroto reached the edge of the platform did he spy him again. Down a level, the cat sat perched on a landing protruding from the stone wall, another entrance into the mine. Cheshire looked up to meet his eyes.

"From here on, we will venture towards the rebel's base. There we will inquire to the Elder Gnome as to the solution of you problem." Hiroto nodded slightly, though now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall mentioning the Fortress of Doors to the animal at all. "How am I supposed to get over there?" The Cat chuckled silently to himself before turning his gaze back to Hiroto. "Jump." It said simply. Hiroto frowned. "Easy for you to say. You teleported or something like that."

The cat snickered quietly. "We use what is available to us. Every adventure requires a first step, trite but true even here." Hiroto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted but the dropped his arms to his sides again and neared the edge of the landing. It was a long way down if he missed and something told him that green liquid covering the bottom would hurt more than help. _'And no steam blast to break my fall this time.' _Taking a deep breath and a couple steps back, Hiroto ran forward and leapt towards the mine entrance. He gasped sharply when the edge of the platform collided with his stomach and he clung to the old wood. Legs flailing in the air, he managed to pull himself up on the ledge. He groaned and rubbed his sore stomach and gave the cat an annoyed look.

"You're really not very helpful outside the speeches, huh?" The cat simply ignored the comment. "No time to be cross, time to be quick. We need to keep moving." With that, the cat turned into the mine entrance and darted into the winding stone tunnel. Hiroto groaned but followed after.


	4. Pandemonium Part 1

Next chapter! Things actually start being explained here! Also, since Little-Blue-Tiger pointed it out, if you guys see any grammar or spelling mistakes or anything like that, please tell me and I will go back and fix it! It's hard for me to catch everything since I wrote it so please review and tell me if I screwed something up!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

Enjoy!

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

At the end of the tunnel was another open area. More machinery and tentacles lined the walls. There was a barred door in the far wall, guarding was seemed to be a swirling vortex of reds and oranges. The major difference in this area was that there was only one walkway leading to a large wooden platform and it was across a wide gap with the green river running through it. Hiroto definitely could not make that jump. A single house with blue windows was set on a stone ledge in between the vortex and the walkway. All of the other houses were either on the other landing or in the wall across from it. There were more stones along the bottom this time and the drop wasn't so bad but there was no way he could make it.

"This could be a problem." He said quietly. Cheshire walked past him and jumped down onto a roof poking out from under the landing he stood on. "Hanging ropes are as good as ladders to those who know how to use them." He said, gesturing to a slim green cord hanging from the ceiling. Hiroto hesitantly grasped the cord and peered over the edge. Suddenly, the green river looked even more menacing than before.

He pursed his lips together and readied himself to swing across and pushed off the ledge. He gasped as he swung sharply and lost his grip, crashing down hard onto his back on a stone ledge below the landing he had jumped from. He groaned as the cat jumped down next to him and sat. "Not exactly what I meant but I suppose it works." Hiroto gave the cat a look and stood, scanning over the area. A wall of a mostly sunken house caught his attention to his left and he jumped to it. The sudden motion caused a small piece of the roofing on the house to chip off and splash into the green river. Hiroto winced and flinched back, holding up his hands where the droplets had fallen and burned him.

"Okay, definitely do not fall in this stuff." He turned towards the blue windowed house now and carefully leapt to the ledge it sat on. The redhead yelped when he lost his footing and slipped backward and a tail shot out to wrap around his wrist and pull him back. "Watch your step." The cat snickered, hopping down from the roof and onto the wooden walkway. Hiroto pouted and jumped for the green cord hanging down in front of the landing. Carefully he climbed the cord and touched down onto the wood and released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Cheshire nodded approvingly. "Very good. You're getting better." Hiroto crossed his arms over his chest, but followed the cat down the small ramp onto the wooden landing.

Coming off the ramp and onto the landing, there was a tunnel deeper into the mine to Hiroto's left. Just beyond there, on a slightly elevated part of the platform and tucked into the corner of the cavern was a small house. On his other side was a row of houses built into the wall. The cat trotted forward to the corner house and pushed at the door. It dissolved almost instantly and a swirling vortex of greens and purples took its place. The cat turned to Hiroto. "Come along then." And it disappeared into the portal. Hiroto slowly knelt down in front of the portal but was hesitant to enter it. A sudden loud grunt and the sight of another playing card stepping from the tunnel was all the motivation he needed.

Then he was falling, actually, it was more like sliding, down a tube of psychedelic whirling colors. He hoped it would take him to his desired destination because he had no idea how to get there otherwise. Seconds later, he tumbled out onto the floor of an open room. Hiroto immediately registered the loud voices of the many people around him and sat up to look around. He seemed to be in a tavern of some kind and there were people of all shapes and sizes surrounding him at tables and at the bar. He jumped when the cat suddenly appeared in front of him.

"No time for a nap. This way please." The cat then weaved its way through the crowds of people and Hiroto quickly followed. As he maneuvered through the mostly drunken crowd of gnomes and other bizarre creatures, he passed by several windows and was shocked to find that the building they were currently in sat on a rock floating in the middle of space. There was only darkness for miles. _'I suppose if you're trying to hide, the middle of nowhere is a good place to be.' _Hiroto thought. Cheshire hopped up onto a table where an old gnome sat, drinking a large cup of what Hiroto assumed by the smell was some kind of strong alcoholic drink. Unlike the other gnomes, he had a white beard and something that looked like a red nightcap. After taking a long drink, the gnome placed it back on the table and turned to regard Hiroto.

"So, you've finally made it." he said, wiping some of the ale from his white beard. "I was beginning to think you'd never arrive." Hiroto gave the cat a confused look and turned back to the Elder Gnome. "What do you mean? I haven't been able to get many answers around here. Everyone keeps saying that I'm supposed to be here but I barely know where 'here' is!" The gnome nodded. "Understandable. I'll answer what of your questions I can. For starters, I suppose we should tell you of your heritage."

"My heritage?" Hiroto questioned, raising an eyebrow. The Elder Gnome nodded. "For centuries, your family has served Wonderland as a 'protector'. A child from each generation takes this responsibility. Your mother, Alice, such a nice girl, was the last. You were meant to take her place." The gnome gestured to Hiroto with his mug. The redhead blinked and shook his head. "Now I know I'm crazy." He mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and resting his forehead in one hand. "None of this is possible. Wonderland, talking cats, playing cards that try to kill you, none of it is possible! I'm just off my meds, so I'm seeing all this crazy shit!" Hiroto sat in one of the chairs at the table and propped his elbows on his knees and rubbed his temple, trying to will away the oncoming headache.

The Elder Gnome sighed. "I was afraid of this. I assure you, this is very real. Without your parents to guide you, you were left unaware of Wonderland. We tried to reach you many times but that blasted barrier kept us away." Hiroto looked up to give the gnome a questioning look. "What barrier?" The gnome fiddled around in his pocket and produced a pipe as the cat began to speak. "As I have affirmed before, it is possible for a human to cross the planes and enter Wonderland. Likewise, we can enter your world, though few know the path they must take to accomplish this. Being of the protector's family, you share a special connection with this place and the creatures in it. After you were left vulnerable, we tried to bring you here for safety but something kept us from being able to breach your world."

The Elder Gnome nodded and puffed out a ring of smoke. "It was by some miracle that the barrier broke and you fell through. We've been trying for so long. You were meant to begin your training and education of Wonderland on your 6th birthday, as all protectors do, but then that horrible fire happened. The work of the Doll Maker, no doubt." The Elder Gnome slammed his mug down on the table and frowned. Hiroto raised an eyebrow. "Who's the Doll Maker?"

"No one knows exactly." The old gnome answered, puffing on his pipe. "No one has ever seen him, but he has tried to take over Wonderland many times. He hides away somewhere in the deep recesses of Wonderland. Few are willing to venture to look for him nor do many want to. He rarely shows his head but when opportunity knocks, he answers. There is no question that he is behind the corruption of the Red Queen as well. And I thought she was bad before."

"Everyone keeps mentioning this Queen. Who is she? What does she have to do with all this?" Hiroto wasn't quite sure he entirely believed what was happening yet, but it couldn't hurt to try and find out as much as he could. "The Queen has many names, boy. The Red Queen, the Queen of Hearts, many names indeed. She is the ruler of Wonderland. Before, she only laid her iron fist over her own territory, as your mother always did such a good job of keeping her in line, but barely a year had gone by without our Alice before she launched her takeover. She emerged with power like no one had ever seen before. She destroyed our homes and enslaved our people. Many were captured and infected by her evil to become her servants. We lost so many to her side when that first wave came. Since then we have become more able but not by much. Those who remain of their own mind are trapped in slavery." The old gnome sighed and set his pipe down. "Many have given up hope entirely." Hiroto honestly felt bad now. All this had happened because he hadn't been around? He wasn't even sure if he believed this was anything more than an eccentric delusion but he still felt an overwhelming urge to help these people. The Elder Gnome took a sharp breath suddenly and tried to perk himself up.

"But I feel like you came here for more than a history lesson. What do you need?" Hiroto blinked for a moment before he remembered his entire reason for going there in the first place. This was a lot to take in after all. "I need your help." He started. "I need to get very small. About the size of a mouse and I was told you might be able to help me get into the Fortress of Doors so I can achieve that."

The Elder Gnome nodded. "I can help you. But we'll need something first. In the Card Guard's compound, there is a skeleton key. It will get us to the Fortress. But you'll have to retrieve it. I'm too old for such a journey." Hiroto nodded and stood. The old gnome held up a hand. "Before you go, I have something for you." The Elder Gnome produced a leather belt with a sheath attached. Hiroto reached forward and took it, looking it over in his hands. "It will prove more functional than carrying your knife everywhere in your hands." Hiroto nodded and thanked the old gnome before fastening the belt around his waist and placing the knife in its new home. He turned to the Cheshire Cat. "You'll show me the way then?" The cat nodded and hopped off the table, retreating back towards the portal. The redhead followed close behind. "The Fortress of Doors is a treacherous place!" The Elder Gnome called after them. "I'll find you a guide to help you through!"

Hiroto barely had time to throw a word of thanks over his shoulder before he was falling head first into the tunnel.


	5. Pandemonium Part 2

Hi guys! Sorry I took a while to update. My internet has been uncooperative:( Anywho, for those of you who have been asking, I'm sorry to say Midorikawa will not show up until later. He will be an essential part of the story but he won't actually appear in the story yet.

Edit: I changed the fight scene and the collection of the card weapon to make it sound more realistic. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

Enjoy!

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

Hiroto yelped as the vortex tossed him out onto the landing again. He stood slowly as he clutched his head and staggered a little. "I will never get used to that." He said rubbing at his sore skull. Cheshire faded into existence in front of the tunnel and motioned with his paw. "You can take a rest in a moment but for now we should move." He said before taking off down the tunnel. Hiroto groaned at the idea of more running but never the less ran after the mangy feline.

Cheshire waited for him at the end of the tunnel, only to take off again when Hiroto reached him. To Hiroto's left was what he assumed had once been a perfectly normal hall but now the flooring had been uprooted by rock formations. He carefully weaved his way up the slanted floorboards and up onto a landing. Rather than a hall, this one opened to a mine car elevator. A single mine car was waiting at floor level, with the cat perched on top of it. Hiroto grimaced as he neared the rickety looking contraption. "I'm supposed to ride this?" he asked uncertainly. The cat only nodded and Hiroto leaned over to look at the steep drop below. Just as he leaned over though, the machine sprang to life and the mine car began to rise. Hiroto quickly hopped onto it to avoid being left behind.

The redhead struggled to keep his balance as the car rose ever higher. As it rose, a long track became visible in front of him. The car jerked to a sharp stop and Hiroto finally lost his balance and dropped onto his butt, the cat curling around and leaping into his arms to avoid being sat on. Instantly the car jerked forward and took off at a fast speed. Hiroto held onto the car for dear life as they headed down the rickety track in the narrow passage. He yelped when several rocks tumbled down and smashed a good portion of the track. He tightened his grip on the car as it sailed through the air and clanked down hard on the other side of the track.

He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back a bit and took in his surroundings. All around him there were machines of every shape and size and every now and then they would pass a gnome or two. Below them were more houses and patches of the green acid. Everything looked so dreary and solemn. Despair hung thickly in the air and it was easily seen in the faces of the passing gnomes.

Hiroto squeaked sharply when more of the track fell away and they flew across the track to the other end. He grunted as they landed on the rusty metal and felt a wave of relief wash over him when the wooden planks appeared under the tracks. However, the relief faded quickly when he realized the tracking was coming to an end.

He and the cat leapt from the car as it flew over the edge and splashed into the acid far below. Hiroto sighed. "That was too close." He said, looking around. Beyond the edge of the landing seemed to be oblivion. There was one house on the edge of the landing and another in the stone across from it. A small ramp led to a slightly raised area. Sudden movement caught the corner of his eye and a sharp sting spread through his side. He doubled over and clutched the now bleeding area. Something shot just in front of his face and he looked to his right. A Club ran at him. In its hand it held, ironically, a deck of cards. It held the cards out towards him and several shot at him. He sprang out of the way to avoid the attack and the Card Guard made a swipe at him with its pitchfork. He fell back onto the track and scrambled out of the way of another blow. Cheshire appeared on the roof of the house behind the Club.

"Your knife! Use your knife! The vorpal blade will vanquish them easily!" Hiroto scrambled to pull the knife from his belt and swung blindly at his attacker when he went for another blow. The cards head went flying through the air and landed with a loud squishing noise on the landing before rolling off the edge. Hiroto pushed himself up and stared at the decapitated card. It shouldn't have been so gruesome, decapitating a card, but it was. The cat leapt down from the roof and trotted up to the startled redhead.

"Well, I was hoping for a little more finesse, but you'll improve with time. For now, let's give a new weapon a try." Cheshire gestured with his paw to the body of the card. The deck of red, black, and purple cards had strewn out over the landing. Looking at the cat briefly for confirmation, the redhead picked them up. "52-pickup is a staple of juvenile humor but when the deck slices and dices, it's no laughing matter. This deck of cards is everlasting but they will drain your power. Use them wisely." Hiroto nodded and turned his attention back to the cards. He lifted the deck to get a better look at it. "Cool." He said then noticed a sudden lightness at his side. He looked down then turned to the cat.

"Where's the Vorpal blade?" he asked. Cheshire nodded to the cards in his hand. "You're holding it." Hiroto raised an eyebrow then spun to look at his hand when the weight suddenly increased. In his hand was now the Vorpal blade. _'What the…?'_

"Whatever you choose is what you receive. The more weapons you acquire, the more options at hand. Your belt will accommodate them as well." Curious, Hiroto switched to the cards and looked down again to find that the sheath had changed to a squarer shape, perfect for housing the cards. "Now let us move on from here. There is work to be done." There was another wall-embedded house at the end of the platform and a strangely angled door on the right wall. The cat walked to the angular door and pushed, turning to cast his grin to Hiroto as it swung open. Hiroto climbed the ramp and cautiously approached the door and quickly followed the cat through. After pushing past a second door just beyond the first, Hiroto found himself climbing a wide, curving staircase. He stopped abruptly when he suddenly spied an opening to the top of the staircase. He carefully peered around the curve of the wall and bit his lip when he saw the two Clubs milling about in the hall at the top of the stairs and a new card, a Diamond, standing guard in a room at the other end of the hall.

"Great. More cards." Hiroto looked at the deck in his hand. "Guess it's time to give these a test run." The redhead moved slowly around the wall, feeling the weight of the Vorpal blade in his hand. The minute the first Card Guard came into view, he hurled the knife at it, easily slicing it in two. He leapt out from the wall and summoned the deck of cards and held it toward the other Club. Immediately, cards began shooting out from the center of the deck, slicing through the Club and dropping it to the ground. Hiroto ran forward and collected the essence as it floated from them, watching as the burn on his hand healed up.

"Alright. Not bad for a first try…!" The redhead cried out when searing pain erupted from his shoulder and he dropped to his knees. He turned around and managed to push himself to one knee, gripping his left shoulder tightly. He pulled his hand away briefly to look at the blood coating it. He'd forgotten about the Diamond. The card still stood in the other room, a good twenty feet away, with its diamond headed pitchfork still aimed at Hiroto. Hiroto gasped when a red diamond sudden shot from the end of the pitchfork straight towards him. He dove away and rolled to the left side of the hall then aimed the deck at the Diamond and fired rapid shots at it. It jerked sharply each time a card connected before finally falling to the floor and dissolving into a Meta.

Hiroto pulled himself onto his feet and tucked the cards back into his belt. He was about to take a step forward when a sudden heaviness filled his body and he collapsed to the ground. He was trying to push himself up when the cat appeared next to him. "Tsk tsk, what did I tell you? Using too much of your power at once will drain you." It leapt up onto a pedestal inserted in the wall of the hallway. A large red gem heart floated above it. "This should fix you up just fine." It batted the heart over to him and he reached up to touch it. Instantly, it vanished into smoke and the heaviness lifted, along with the gash in his shoulder.

Hiroto slowly got to his feet and rested a hand on the wall to steady himself before he continued into the room. It was a basic, open room, with a raised area to his left and a staircase curving from the right side of the room and across the back wall to that level. In the center of the room was a small wooden table and some chairs. On the table sat the key. Keeping an eye out for any more Card Guards, he snatched up the key and ascended the stairs. On the wall of the upper landing was another door and since Hiroto was really not willing to take the mine car ride again (though he was pretty sure he couldn't anyway), he pushed through it. On the other side of the door was another green and purple portal. Hiroto was hesitant at first, not sure if he should chance it taking him to some random place, but then the cat trotted through and he shortly followed.

Hiroto gasped as he stumbled out of the vortex and immediately recognized where they were. They were back in the area of the rebel base but this time they were across the cave, behind the bars that had blocked the portal he had seen when he first entered the place. He could see the Elder Gnome across the green river on the wooden landing, standing at a portal in the door of one of the wall houses. There was someone with him but Hiroto didn't get enough time to look before the gnome waved him over and jumped through the portal. Unfortunately, simply waving him over wouldn't be enough to get him there because two Diamond Card Guards had taken positions on the entrance landing and the one across from it.

'_So I have one that can shoot at me as I run and another right in my path. Great, just great.'_ Hiroto thought. The only comfort Hiroto had at the moment was that they hadn't noticed him yet. But that was soon shattered when the bars creaked and rose up to open the way. The cards quickly turned their attention to him and began firing. Hiroto ducked into the back corner to avoid the diamonds be shot at him. His heart and mind were racing. He had to get across to the other portal but it would mean he'd have to doge the diamonds and not fall into the acid. Paying attention to both at once would not be an easy task, not to mention he'd have to climb the green cord to get onto the platform, meaning he'd be left totally vulnerable. _'But maybe if I get a good running start, I can hop across and swing past the Diamond.'_

It was worth a shot. Crouching slightly to get a better view of his attackers, Hiroto sprang forward. Seconds after he was out in the open he found himself nearly tripping to jump to the blue windowed house's ledge to avoid an attack from the Club that had been lurking just outside the bars. _'Too close!' _he thought then yelped when a diamond flew over his head and chipped the wall of the house. He scrambled forward and an idea hit him. He summoned the Vorpal blade and chucked it at the Diamond in his path. The card went down instantly and Hiroto managed to jump to the cord and swing onto the landing, tripping to his knees when another diamond was shot at him. The cat appeared in front of him and deflected another diamond.

"We can't be lying down on the job. Hurry!" Hiroto followed the cat as it took off toward the portal, jumping through without hesitation. Hiroto faltered for a minute to avoid a diamond then jumped through too. When he tumbled out, he decided he would never be able to get used to that form of travel.

He was now sitting on some stone steps. The steps were attached to another wall embedded building but this one was on a wide stone ledge that overlooked the spot where he'd ended that horrible mine car ride and had found the cards. The Elder Gnome sat in a strange rendition of a miniature blimp. It had a basket with an open front attached to the front of the contraption and it appeared to be powered by cycling, as the Elder sat on what appeared to be a bicycle with a propeller behind it. A long sloppily made balloon kept the whole thing afloat. The blonde boy Hiroto had seen at the portal was already in the basket. The Elder smiled when the redhead began to approach.

"You have the key! Very resourceful. Hop into the front and we'll be off." Hiroto felt a little uneasy about getting into the rickety looking machine but found he didn't really have any other options. He clung to the side when they took off into the darkness, mentally praying the gnome wasn't so old that he had forgotten how to fly the thing.


	6. Fortress of Doors Part 1

I'm baaaaaaaack! Who missed me? *crickets* Okay then. Here's the next chapter! Also I made an edit to the fight scene in the previous chapter. Go see! The action starts to pick up here so I hope you guys like it! Review please!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

"There's a skool inside the Fortress. The key will get you into the skool. There you will be able to find certain items for creating a concoction that will make you small." The Elder explained, huffing a little as he continued pedaling the makeshift blimp forward. "I will help you with what I can but Goenji, you will need to be his main assistance." The comment earned the old gnome a two-fingered salute from the blond.

As they flew, Hiroto had become more accustomed to the machine and had managed to relax for the first time since he'd arrived in Wonderland (though the large stalactites they had to weave through unnerved him a bit). Goenji, as he had learned the boy next to him was called, was good company. He had a rather menacing appearance at first glance; he was dressed completely in black and everything from the neck down was covered save his hands. The trench coat with all those straps and buckles was kind of cool though. He was the same age as Hiroto too which was something of a comfort. Goenji had told him he was from a place called 'The Land of Fire and Brimstone', a section of Wonderland made entirely of rock and molten lava. He'd joined the rebels after the Queen had gained control of the area and set her minions loose.

"You certainly picked a bad time for a first visit. Wonderland is a mess. And on top of that, you have to save it too. Sounds like a good time." Hiroto groaned. "You don't know the half of it. Nothing makes any sense here and I'm not even sure this isn't all some warped dream. Everything seems real enough but at the same time it's so weird I don't know if I can see it being real. And I don't know the first thing about fighting and every way I turn I seem to run into trouble." Goenji laughed slightly. "I can understand that. Living in the Land of Fire and Brimstone is tough and there are a lot of creatures that can hurt you. Residents there learn to fight pretty quickly. Even my sister can take down a fire imp all by herself."

Hiroto smiled. "You have a sister?" Goenji nodded and leaned his back against the side of the basket so he could better face Hiroto. "Yeah, her name's Yuuka. She's 6. She's in hiding with my dad but I wanted to stay and fight. I try to visit when I can though." Hiroto nodded and smirked slightly.

"Alright, boys, time to keep quiet." Hiroto shifted a little in his 'seat' to get a better view. Through the seemingly never ending darkness, he could see they were approaching a massive shiny black stone wall with an elaborate drawbridge. _'This must be the Fortress of Doors.'_ He thought. "We should avoid the Card Guards notice…" He jumped sharply on the bicycle seat when they passed the drawbridge and it dropped almost instantly, Diamond Card Guards racing out onto the stone ledge in front of it. "Damn it! We've been seen!"

The Card Guards immediately opened fire on them, sending blood red diamonds flying towards the blimp. Hiroto gasped and clung to the sides of the basket as the old gnome swerved frantically to avoid them. _'I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! Or worse, they'll pop the blimp and then we'll just keep falling and falling and falling and falling and…!'_ He jumped out of his panicked thoughts when Goenji laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" Hiroto just smiled weakly and went back to clinging to the basket.

The Elder Gnome carefully guided the blimp over the Fortress wall and towards the skool. The skool seemed to be a simple school-house, a fair sized Gothic-Tudor style house with a bell tower coming out of the center of the roof. It and the land beneath it floating in the middle of space. The skool was surrounded by a large stone wall, red tentacles emerging from holes in the side of it. More Diamonds emerged from the guard towers on either end of the high wall and began firing on them as they neared the skool.

"Eventually, you must break through these walls and enter the skool, but for now I must hide my blimp. Jump to the edge outside the wall. I will join you later." Hiroto was nodding steadily until he registered the word 'jump'. "Wait, you want us to what?!" Before he had time to protest, Cheshire appeared and pushed him from the basket. Hiroto screamed as he tumbled out and landed hard on the stone ledge in front of the outer wall, a good twenty feet below. Goenji landed next to him in a crouch and the cat appeared by his heading, grinning down at him. Hiroto simply glared at the animal. Groaning, he allowed Goenji to pull him to his feet and cracked his back loudly. They were now standing at the front of the wall, just to the left of the entrance. The stone walkway that Hiroto assumed once lead to another part of the Fortress was in pieces, extending out about ten feet from the door before splitting apart into scattered bits. "So what do we do now-mmph?" The blond suddenly pressed a hand over his mouth and pushed him against the stone wall, glancing upwards. Hiroto followed his eyes and tensed when the saw a couple Diamonds walking along the wall. They were mumbling quietly to one another.

After a few moments, the Diamonds wandered away and Goenji released him. The blond moved to the entrance but sadly found it blocked by thick steel bars. Goenji pulled hard at the bars but they didn't budge. Sighing, he took a step back. "We'll have to find another way in. I'm pretty sure I saw a hole on this side." He turned and ducked around the left wall. Hiroto stood for a moments, unsure of what to do before the cat nudged him forward and he followed the blond. Stepping around the wall, he found Goenji peering through a sizable break in the wall. "We can get through here, but keep on your toes. There are probably more guards around." The two quietly slipped through the hole. Hiroto frowned when they stepped onto the other side. The skool was directly in front of them, but the ground surrounding it hand fallen away, using the abyss below as a sort of moat. "Great." Hiroto sighed placing one hand on his hip and rubbing at the back of his head with the other. "How are we supposed to get there now?" He turned to Goenji when he tapped on his shoulder and pointed to his other side.

The entrance that had been previously blocked was now open but, from what Hiroto could see, certainly did not lead back outside the wall. Hiroto sighed and hunched his shoulders. "Why can't doors be normal and lead to the same place every time?" Goenji chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "Because it's Wonderland." He said simply and walked towards it. Hiroto groaned and followed.

The door opened up into a whole new room entirely. This one seemed to be a large oval with tan and black stone walls. It had no ceiling, instead opening to a sky of swirling blues, greens and, purples. On either end of the room there were three connected stone arches that held up a second level but as far as Hiroto could see, the only connection between the landings on either side was a large 'Z' shaped walkway in the center above them and the only stairs up were on the other side. They currently stood under the other landing. Hiroto hesitantly peeked out of one of the arches. "What the hell?" he whispered. Suddenly, something flew up in front of him and he was staring into two black eye sockets with tiny yellow lights at the centers. It opened its mouth and screeched, sending the redhead flying back into the wall behind him.

Hiroto vaguely heard Goenji call out to him as he tried (and failed) to regain his bearings. Through his blurred vision and pounding headache, he managed to make out a strange creature. The thing that had attacked him appeared to be a floating skeleton wearing black priest robes with weird red writing on a cloth hanging in the front. It flew around a couple times before gearing up to attack him again but was instantly distracted by Goenji tossing a fireball in its direction.

By the time he had managed to stand again, the creature was disappearing in a burst of flames, screaming as it dissolved into a heart Meta. Goenji's fire sword vanished and he turned to him. "Are you okay?" Hiroto groaned and nodded, instantly regretting the motion. "What was that thing?" he asked, looking at the pile of ash that the heart Meta hovered above. The cat appeared and pushed the heart towards him and he grabbed it, sighing in relief as his aches and pains faded away. Goenji chuckled. "That was a Boojum. It's like a banshee. They're pretty easy to take down but they're bad news. It means Kidou and Sakuma are here."

Hiroto raised an eyebrow. "Who are Kidou and Sakuma?" Goenji helped pull him to his feet before speaking. "They're two of the Card Guard captains and among those we lost to the Red Queen's influence. Kidou is in charge of the Diamonds while Sakuma controls the Spades. Those Boojums are minions that Sakuma can summon. The Fortress of Doors is his domain, but Kidou is never too far. We'll need to be on our guard." Hiroto swallowed hard. _'I'm so doomed.'_ He thought. The redhead yelped when a second Boojum swooped out of nowhere and screamed at them but managed to roll away in time to avoid the sound blast. Goenji took care of that one just as fast as the first.

"I hate those things!" Hiroto seethed. Goenji laughed and pulled him up off the ground again. They carefully stepped out into the open, Hiroto more reluctantly than Goenji. "I don't see any more but they could be in other parts of the Fortress. Watch out for them. Their scream doesn't do much damage by itself but they can shove you into the void with it. If you see one, avoid any edges." Hiroto nodded, relaxing a little as he and the blond began to walk to the steps. However this was short lived when the 'sky' around them suddenly turned a dark purple color and the floor began to split apart. Hiroto cried out when the room suddenly began to separate into two halves revealing the swirling vortex miles beneath their feet. Geonji stumbled back at first then steadied himself.

"Jump!" he screamed and leapt onto the other side as it drifted back. Hiroto bit his lip and dove for the edge, managing to land on the other side. He scrambled up to his feet when they finally stopped moving. "Must be some security measure." Goenji said then turned to the redhead as he stood. "Come on." Hiroto groaned again but followed the blond fire user up the curved staircase to their right onto the upper level. The walkway that had formerly connected the two sides had snapped off at either end and was no tilting back and forth dangerously. On the other side, another green and purple portal sat in a slowly spinning frame. The cat appeared by his side and waved a paw towards the portal. "Go through there. It will take you deeper into the Fortress. From there you can find your way to the skool." The two boys nodded and Hiroto walked to the walkway. It sunk down slowly when he placed his foot on it and he stepped back. "How are we going to get across?" he asked, looking to the blond. The fire user thought for a moment. "We have to go one at a time. If we get to the middle it won't tip. We just need to move fast."

Goenji took a few steps back and ran forward. He leapt as close as he could to the first corner, causing it to sink slightly under the force of the jump. The blond scrambled to the center and waited for the walkway to level out. When it stopped moving, Goenji tried to move forward but it sank quickly. He moved back to the center and looked back to Hiroto. "Put your foot on the edge. It'll keep it from rising." Hiroto nodded and nervously moved to the edge. Holding onto the wall, he stretched his foot across the small gap in between the floor and the walkway and stepped down. Slowly, Goenji walked to the next corner and, finding it was holding up fine, ran the rest of the way to the other landing. "I'll do the same for you. Hurry!" he said, turning back to Hiroto. The redhead nodded and gingerly stepped out onto the walkway as Goenji placed his foot down. He moved significantly slower than the blond, relaxing only when he managed to reach the center and dropped to his knees. Goenji took his foot away. "You'll have to run the rest of the way. Jump when you get close enough."

Hiroto looked down into the swirling purple abyss and swallowed hard. He stood carefully and took several deep breaths before he took off as fast as he could. His heart leapt when he felt the walkway begin to sink beneath him as he turned the corner. He jumped and landed hard on the other side, stumbling a little. Goenji grabbed his arm to steady him. "You alright?" After Hiroto nodded, Goenji released him and walked over to the portal and stepped through. Hiroto paused in front of it, watching it spin in front of him for a moment before he turned and plopped down against the wall. The cat soon appeared by his side.

"Why the delay?" it asked. Hiroto sighed. "Just gearing up mentally. I'm not even sure if any of this is real but we're getting nowhere fast. I've got to stop being so afraid." The cat nodded slowly, its tail swaying gently behind it. "You doubt yourself too much. You have the blood of your mother and must trust that you can handle what has been set out for you. It will do no good if Wonderland has placed its faith in you if you do not have faith in yourself." Hiroto shut his eyes for a moment before opening them and nodding. He stood up and stretched before jumping into the portal with the cat close behind.


	7. Beyond the Wall Part 1

Hi guys! I'm back! Sorry for the late update. I've been having internet problems. I also wanted to tell you that I had to edit the chapters up until now because I made a mistake. It's just that Hiroto has been fighting Clubs not Spades. It doesn't seem important now but it will be later, kay?

As usual, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inazuma Eleven or American McGee's Alice or any of its characters. I make no money off of this.

*~8~8~8~8~8~*

When Hiroto stepped out onto the other side, Goenji breathed a sigh of relief. "God, I thought something had happened. What took so long? You were right behind me." Hiroto just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Just relaxing for a sec, that's all. I needed to clear my head." He pulled out the vorpal blade. They were now standing in a small copper foyer lit by torches. Where the portal had been was now a brick wall and across from them was an open door way.

The two quietly moved forwards and peeked out the door. All around them were high gray stone walls. The walls bumped out in places and stone pillars sprouted randomly throughout the room. Rusty barred arches were scattered between the bumped out portions of the walls. The floor was checkered with a dingy white and a dark red. This room also had and open ceiling and there appeared to be another level on top of the walls around them but Hiroto could see no way to it. A wall met them to their left and another with a barred door was to their front. They turned down the hall to their right and peeked around the edge of the wall.

A few Clubs, Hiroto counted three, were lurking around, grunting quietly to themselves. In the middle of the room, Hiroto noticed a lowered column. Floating in the center of it was a strange ornate object. The main portion was a black metal box and it contained a bright red glowing substance. More of the substance filled a point on the bottom of the object and the diamond perched on top. The Clubs seemed to be guarding it.

"Hey!" Hiroto and Goenji jumped and spun around to see another Club standing behind them. His call got the attention of the others and they ran at them. "Damn it!" Goenji hissed as his blade appeared in his hand. He dove at one guard and severed its head easily. The one behind them swung its spear at Hiroto but the red head blocked it with the vorpal blade. He kicked out a leg and knocked the card back. He heard Goenji cry out and turned to locate the blond but couldn't find him. He gasped for air when the card suddenly rushed him and head butted him in the chest. He sprawled back on the ground and the Club tried to run him through but the redhead slammed his legs into its stomach (Did these things even have stomachs?) and propelled it forward over his head. It tumbled a couple feet before accidently impaling itself on its spear.

Hiroto got to his feet and ran over, absorbing the Meta that appeared and walked forward a couple steps. He could hear Goenji fighting but the noise echoed so badly that he wasn't entirely sure where it was coming from. He called out a couple times but received no answer. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and spun to his right as another Club charged at him. Hiroto ran up to it and ducked out of the way as it swung its spear at him. He slashed at it with his blade and cut deep into its side, causing blood to spray across the floor. The card teetered a little and tried to swipe at him again but Hiroto dodged and drove the blade into the large Club on its front. It sputtered for a minute then dissolved. The cat appeared as Hiroto collected the Meta.

"Very well done. It's nice to see you're finally getting serious. Just be careful you don't throw all caution to the wind. We can't have you getting killed." Hiroto nodded and the cat motioned its head towards another turn. "I'll retrieve the other one. We mustn't dally." With that he vanished and Hiroto was left alone. Curiosity quickly got the better of him and he moved towards the object he'd seen earlier. He stood outside the edge of the column. It was a fascinating thing. The red substance seemed to move and had a shimmering quality to it. He wanted to touch it.

Suddenly, pain flared in the back of his head and he braced his hands on the column to support himself. The redhead spun around and faced the sneering Club behind him. He could feel the blood running down the back of his neck and knew a solid blow had been delivered when dizziness started to set in. The Club slashed at him and he rolled out of the way, holding onto the column edge for support. Again, the spear was jabbed at him and he ducked under the attack and grabbed onto the wall. He pulled out the deck and fired several at the Club, but stopped and converted to the knife when he found using his power only made the dizziness worse. He couldn't even aim straight as they had all missed.

The Club let out a battle cry and charged at him. Hiroto dove past the attack and staggered back to the column. He spun to face the card again and, after dislodging its spear from the wall, it ran at him. Hiroto leaned back to avoid the blow and lost his balance. He toppled backwards, tripping over the edge of the lowered column and knocking into the ornament. As he pushed himself off the ground, red smoke began to drift from the object and circle around him. Cheshire appeared at his side, his grin wider than ever.

"Time to raise some havoc. The dogs of war are loose." Then everything went red.

Hiroto groaned and held his head as he stumbled back against a wall. The red was slowly clearing from his vision and he rubbed at his eyes. His head was pounding hard and he felt dizzy. "Hiroto?" He looked up, finding Goenji staring at him with concern and red metas scattered across the room. "What happened to the guards?" he asked. The blond balked. "You don't remember? You went at them like crazy! They couldn't touch you! You took them all out in seconds!" Hiroto blinked and looked down at the bloody vorpal blade in his hand. There were blood splatters on his clothing too.

"I've never seen a Ragebox in action before." Hiroto raised an eyebrow at Goenji. "Ragebox?" he asked. Goenji nodded. "It fills the user with blind rage towards their enemies and gives them incredible strength. They spawn at random, so you never know where you'll find them." Hiroto groaned and held his head. "We'll, I'm never using one again unless I have too. That was awful." The fire user chuckled and motioned with his hand. "Let's get going. I found a door over here and we need to find the elder as soon as possible." Hiroto nodded and they headed around a wall to their right and through the door there.

After passing through the next three doors just beyond it, they came to another room. Except it was a room at all. It probably had been at one time but it appeared to have been ripped apart like the room where they had encountered the Boojums. Blue and green stone made up the walls and the floor on both sides was black and green checkering. On the opposite side, Hiroto could see a doorway and a portal at the center of it. The same purple vortex surrounded them and bits of floor tile and furniture whirled about through the air. Walking down the green steps in front of them, Hiroto looked around. How were they meant to get across? There was no way to the other side as far as he could see.

He looked to Goenji but the blond looked just as confused about everything as he did. Hiroto looked back out over the gap. There were two floating pillars of tile but they looked much too far to jump too. Hiroto walked to the edge of the floor, trying to judge just how far the jump would be. Suddenly, some of the tiles floating in the vortex shot in front of him and connected to the floor, extending the path out farther.

Hiroto and Goenji exchanged a bewildered look before Hiroto turned his attention back to the floor. Carefully, he took a step forward, onto the extension, and walked to its edge. Instantly, more tiles appeared. Goenji's surprised grunt behind him caught his attention and he turned around to see what the matter was. Apparently, Goenji was very happy he followed Hiroto when he did because the floor connecting them to the other side had vanished.

"Better stay close together then." Hiroto said and the blond nodded. Moving slowly, the pair crossed the tiles as they connected, careful not to be too far apart. Eventually they reached the first floating pillar and jumped onto it. More tiles extended from that one, leading to the other pillar. They crossed to it and from there to the portal. The tiles instantly fell away behind them and they quickly moved through the portal.


End file.
